When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.<\/i><\/p>\n Kiss take a bow at Kiss Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas. | Credit: Will Byington<\/p>\n It hasn\u2019t even been two years since Kiss<\/a> reached the literal end of the road, when their five-year, 250-date \u201cEnd of the Road\u201d farewell tour wrapped with two concerts at New York City\u2019s iconic Madison Square Garden<\/a>. Although those gigs were billed as the band\u2019s final shows ever, the word \u201cever\u201d tends to have a different meaning in rock’n’roll context than it does in real life, so it wasn\u2019t much of a surprise when the band announced their return to the stage earlier this year.<\/p>\n What was surprising, however, was the setting. Over the years, Kiss has hosted 11 branded \u201ckruises\u201d that have departed from the likes of Los Angeles, Miami and New Orleans, but for their 12th such event \u2013 Kiss Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas, held at Sin City\u2019s Virgin Hotels complex \u2013 there was nary a port to be found, and the only water in sight was in the nearby resort pool.<\/p>\n On an overcast Friday afternoon, following an introduction by Kiss Army founders Bill Starkey and Jay Evans, the 2004-2023 lineup of the band \u2013 founding members Paul Stanley<\/a> and Gene Simmons<\/a>, along with their longtime wingmen Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer \u2013 stepped onto the open-air stage on the resort\u2019s grassy quad simply known as The Lawn.<\/p>\n Admirably, before playing a single note, Stanley took the mic to address the elephant in the room \u2013 the recent passing of the band\u2019s original guitarist Ace Frehley<\/a>, who died last month after sustaining accidental blunt force injuries to his head following a fall at his New Jersey home.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019d like to take a moment to think about somebody who\u2019s at the foundation of this band,\u201d Stanley told the crowd. \u201cWe certainly had differences, but that\u2019s what family is about. Why don\u2019t we take a moment and think about him looking down on us \u2013 from [the Planet] Jendell, probably \u2013 and let\u2019s have a moment for Ace.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul Stanley onstage in Las Vegas | Credit: Will Byington<\/p>\n From there, the band got down to business for the first of its two Kruise performances, an hour-long acoustic set that brought back memories of the legendary 1995 MTV Unplugged broadcast that led to their reunion with Frehley and original drummer Peter Criss the following year.<\/p>\n As they did then, Kiss opened its Vegas set with the Hotter Than Hell track Comin\u2019 Home, which was played at a slightly slower pace than it was three decades ago and felt a bit looser than it should have. It didn\u2019t take long for the band to scrape off two years\u2019 worth of ring rust, though, as the subsequent performance of See You Tonight \u2013 a deep cut from Simmons\u2019 1978 solo album \u2013 nailed the same breezy Laurel Canyon vibe that made it an unexpected highlight of Unplugged.<\/p>\n<\/span><\/div>\n
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